I've always given people an odd bit of advice from the vast wisdom I've accumulated through my life of labor and leisure in everyone's favorite, or more obscure, watering holes - SIGN UP FOR KARAOKE.
Admittedly, not many of us share that memory of a grandparent's gnarled hand resting on our shoulder as we look into the agless eyes set in their weathered faces while they've shared those exact words. In fact, I'd bet no one has that story. Unless you got stuck in a barstool next to me at 1am with a noticeably lighter bottle of Jim Beam in the bartender's speed rail. It is, however, one of the few things I remember saying in the mornings where I confidently reaffirm to myself and say, "Yup, I stand by that one." You should do it because you don't want to. You should do most things that you don't want to. It's hard convincing our kids that most of life is doing things that you don't want to do, but that is life. So you may as well cozy up and get comfortable with it. You should also do it because their is an unforseen freedom that comes with it. If you can get up in front of a crowd of people and share your secret shower voice with everyone, risking complete humiliation and an irrepairable blow to your ego - what can't you do? Also, its like doing pull ups with a step stool. The drunks won't remember how bad you were tomorrow, and most of them will cheer you on for doing what they wish they would work up the nerve to do themselves. Taking yourself too seriously is the only grave consequence of letting a bunch of Bud Light Bros know that your guilty pleasure is 20x platinum smash hit 1997 album "Come on Over" by Shania Twain.
The only other potential side effect is that you catch the bug. For some people it's tattoos, for others it's karaoke. Next thing you know, you have memorized the karaoke circuit in Aiken, North Augusta, and Augusta and you start your first tri-county tour on your way to fame and spending a fortune in bar tabs. Sometimes the bug is more like the critters that bestow super human abilities to every character in the Marvel Multiverse. Some folks can come out of karaoke with a newly awakened super power that has been lying dormant waiting for the right combination of confidence and loss of inhibition to bring it to life. For Jaycie Ward, it happneed at an exchange club fair in 2006 - when she was only 8 years old.
Most of us who have spent weeks contemplating a karaoke sign up, also skipped out on our talent shows growing up, and mostly for the same reasons. Jaycie, well she didn't skip out and she didn't slow down. Immediately her performance landed her an invite to the Kicks 99 studios where she blew everyone away with a performance of the National Anthem. That, in turn, landed her the National Anthem gig for the Guitar Pull that same year. She opened the show for Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts - at 8 years old!
Check out this video of Jaycie performing in 2010 for National Fallen Firefighter Foundation Memorial Weekend services.
I first met Jaycie in 2019 where she sang the National Anthem at Banjo-B-Cue.
Jaycie is still rocking across the CSRA. She found a a thing she loves and stuck with hit. That puts her in a handful of people I know who did what they said they were going to do as a child. I love what I do, but I missed the mark on being a Navy Seal / Zoologist / Astronaut / President. It's hard to not be awestruck by the folks who have the vision and drive to manifest and accomplish exactly what they set out to.
Most people won't see that singular sense of purpose. They are too busy trying to wrap their heads around the sweet and powerful vocals of Jaycie's that put her in an exlcusive camp of woman able to nail Martina McBride's "Independence Day." They can't understand how such an innocent looking beauty can capture the raw emotions of the empowering number of innocence lost like Reba's "Fancy." An abucus coudn't help them through the math trying to understand how this powerhouse then can deliver "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" by James Taylor or Carly Simon's "Your So Vain" with such delicate control. Followed by the mental gymnastics trying to understand how she flawlessly tackles two male lead songs like "Careless Whisper" by George Michaels or "Just The Two Of Us" by Bill Withers. Jaycie has a dynamic range that caresses the audience like an irresistible spring breeze, then suddenly rises to an inescapable Cat-5 hurricane-force tempest that challenges you emotionally, but you welcome as openly as the soft, comorting breeze. It’s a mesmerizing experience that has you saying out loud to no one, 'She’s so good.' And that’s before you even realize she’s been at it since she was 8, staying the course the entire time. Will signing up for karaoke reveal your hidden golden buzzer abilities? Probably not. Let's be honest, Jaycie is 1 in a million, but you won't feel as silly busting out the Carlton Banks dance in a crowded Downtown Aiken as Tom Reid sings, "It's Not Unusual." And that is it's own super power.
So whatever you've been thinking about doing - DO IT. Surprise yourself. Surprise the world. Smile more. Care less. Don't take yourself too seriously. Take your fun very seriously.
Check Out The Gallery
This Week on the Bud Light Stage - The Grumble
The Grumble will be making it's Amp debut this Thursday. As a bonus, they will be back on Saturday for the Battle at The Alley on Saturday, an event for the Aiken County Veteran's Council. These guys cover a great span of the 90's through the aughts rock and dabble on either end of that gamut as well with some iconic classics.
The Grumble Live
The Grumble performs "Superman" by 3 Doors Down
Great Music for a Great Cause
Saturday September 7th after Aiken's Makin' from 6 - 10 PM The Aiken County Veteran's Council presents the Annual Battle at The Alley. This is not some goofy battle re-enactment, this is great local musicians raising money for our Vets! This year we have 3 up and coming Amp bands in the battle - Low Country Locals, The Grumble, and Whiskey Business! The bands will be starting as Aiken's Makin starts winding down, so make it a whole day: get your face painted, eat a funnel cake or two, grab dinner and some cold beer from Savage Craft Ale Works in The Alley, and enjoy some live music!
Southbound Smokehouse Adds Another Bar!
TV's. Swings. Cornhole. Friends. Drinks. The back patio at Southbound Smokehouse has got it all, especially now that they have built a new bar out there. It's the perfect place to take a break from the Karaoke by Kyla (every Thursday after Amp and again on Saturday evenings) when you've just gotten too tired from the dancing and singing along in the jam-packed room.
Awesome Videos, and writing !